With thanks to Fred Bullinger who shared the picture aboveand the article below about Mater Dolorosa Church.~ ~ ~

"When this young man said his first mass at Mater Dolorosa Church in Carrollton right before World War II, he did not dream that in the '60's he would be the first Catholic Bishop from our community. Father Joseph Vath is seen here surrounded by the children who attended him at that first solemn occasion. Many of these little girls lived in Carrollton in the '30's and '40's. Father Vath is now Bishop Joseph Vath of the Birmingham, Alabama diocese." -- From Town of Carrollton News, 1976.The names of the girls are, from left to right: Rosemary Eck, Beatrice Kleck (Consentino), Dolly Ugulano (Dopp), Alice Chatelain (McCaskell), Ursula Bindewall (Schaff), Valerie Benson (Hogan), Marilyn Eck (Ryan), Amanda Davenport (Bullinger), Sylvia Guidry (McAdams).

Mater Dolorosa Church can be seen behind the city's first electric "trolley bus," the year is 1939.~ ~ ~

Organized in 1847 and known as the Church of St. Mary of the Nativity, the church's congregation was predominantly French and German. The first church was on Cambaronne Street in what was then the town of Carrollton. However, divisions occurred within the church and, in 1871, the German congregants moved across the street and formed a church they called Mater Dolorosa (also, known as the German Mater Dolorosa Church). By the end of the century, however, the rifts had been repaired and the two congregations came together under the name of Mater Dolorosa.

With many thanks to my e-friend, Yvonne, who shared this photo of her late sister, Betty Ann Owens, and husband, Freddy Assunto, immediately after taking their wedding vows at Mater Dolorosa Church in 1955. Betty Ann and Freddy were both talented and popular musicians (a photo of the Assuntos' Dukes of Dixieland can be seen on the Bands page of my "New Orleans & the Birth of Jazz" section). Among Freddy's groomsmen are famous clarenetist Pete Fountain and Freddy's brother, Frank, also, a popular musician. Father Whitney stands behind the couple. A page on Betty Ann Owens can be found here. Yvonne, also, sent the photo directly below.

Fred Bullinger sent the photo above of the 8th Grade Class of MaterDolorosa School, 1947; as well as, the photo of the class below. Hiswife, Amanda Davenport Bullinger, was a member of this class.